Blotting-pad.



7 PATENTED JULY 21, 1908. J. A-, STAPLES.

BLOTTING PAD.

APPLICATION IILED' 09g. 10, 1307.

INVEN 0/? A770 NEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. STAPLES, OF NEWBURGH, NEW YORK.

BLOT'IYING-PAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Application filed October 10, 1907. Serial No. 396,852.

- clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to pads and blotters, and has in view, among other objects, a simple and inexpensive device of this character which provides elevated portions, enabling the device to be more readily handled and which portions may also be utilized as a pen or pencil rest.

Other objects and advantages will be in part obvious from the accompanying drawings and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the fol lowing claims.

In order that this invention may be more fully understood and more comprehensible to others skilled in its relating arts, drawings exemplifying certain of the more noteworthy embodiments have been annexed as a part of this disclosure and, While many.

changes therefrom may be made within the intended scope of the appended claims, the shown embodiments are those which may ordinarily be preferred in practice.

In such drawings like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective showing a blotter made in accordance with this invention, and Fig. 2 is a perspective of a writing pad embodying certain features of this invention.

Continuing now to a more detailed description, it may be observed that this invention comprises a body portion 1 and an upright marginal portion 2. The body portion may consist of'one or more sheets of absorbent material, such as that used in the construction of ordinary blotters, and its upper surface may be used for advertising purposes by printing suitable matter thereon, either directly as shown in Fig. 1, or on a celluloid or glazed top, or on note paper as shown in Fig. 2. The body portion may be composed of a plurality of sheets forming a writing pad as shown in Fig. 2 and the lowermost sheet may either be of non-absorbent material, such as that commonly employed in writing pads, or may in fact consist of blotting paper so as to serve as a blotter.

At one end of the body portion, which may r preferably be of a rectangular shape, there is an upright marginal portion 2. As will be obvious, this upright margin may be composed of a separate strip which is attached to preferably this margin will be integral with one or more of the sheets forming elements of the body portion. Thus as appears from Fig. 1, the marginal portion 2 is integrally the body portion in any suitable manner, but r connected to the body portion 1, there being a score line 3 at the j ointure so as to enable the margin 2 to be readily upturned with respect to the body portion, and in case the body portion is formed of a number of sheets,

they may be connected together by a staple passing through their upturned margins so as to prevent the staple from contacting with the latter. Of course, for convenience of shipping and storing, the margin 2 need not be turned up until the device is to be used.

If desired, however, the device may be sold in proper condition for immediate use, in which case the line of fold between the body portion and the upright margin may be strengthened or stifiened by any suitable means, such as a narrow streak of stiffening gum or glue 4. To further utilize this upright marginal portion, this invention proposes one or more suitable notches or recesses 5 within which a Writing implement may be placed as illustrated by Fig. 1. It is to be understood that these notches may either be arranged in the form of corrugations provided by the up-turned margin, or closed apertures or the like may be employed if desired.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a means admirably adapted to achieve the various ends and objects in view. Thus the device as a Whole is very inexpensive and does not add materially to the cost of devices heretofore employed not embodying this in vention. The up-turned margin adds greatly to the usefulness of an ordinary blotter, inasmuch as it not only stifl'ens the same and preserves its fiat shape, but it also forms a very convenient rest for a pen or pencil and prevents the same from rolling about on the desk. In picking up blotters of the ordinary type, some little dexterity is required, since",

it is necessary to get the fingers under and bend the blotter in such manner as to render available only a portion of its actual blotting surface. In my device, however, the projecting margin serves as a handle enabling it to be picked up with the least effort and it also assists in keeping the blotter in sight among a multitude of papers.

It may also be mentioned that this invention has certain peculiar advantages when the blotter is to be used in an advertising capacity, inasmuch as it keeps the blotter right side up with the advertisement facing the user and its novel form also makes it useful and attracts attention. When used as a pad, as shown in Fig. 2, it not only furnishes a means of binding the sheets of papers together, but it forms a very convenient rest for the pen, rendering the latter always available and as a result this device when used in such capacity assists in keeping the desk in an orderly and neat condition and finds a considerable field for usefulness in schools and other places.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this inven tion could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mat ter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statement of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A device of the nature disclosed, com prising a flat body portion adapted to receive written or printed matter on its upper exposed surface, and having an upturned margin provided in its uppermost edge with a plurality of recesses.

2. A device of the nature disclosed, comprising a flat body portion adapted to receive written or printed matter on its up er exposed surface, and having a relative y stiff upturned margin provided in its uppermost edge with a plurality of recesses.

3. A device of the nature disclosed, comprising a substantially rectangular flat body portion adapted to receive written or printed matter on its upper exposed surface, and having a relatively stiff upturned margin at the top end of said body portion provided in its uppermost edge with a plurality of recesses.

4. A device of the nature disclosed, comprising a substantially rectangular flat body portion adapted to receive written or printed matter on its upper exposed surface, and having a relatively stiff upturned margin at the top end of said body portion, said margin protruding above the upper surface of said body portion and provided with a plurality of recesses and projections in its upper edge, adapted to retain a writing im lement.

5. A device of the nature c isclosed, comprising a fiat absorbent body portion adapted to serve as a blotter, and having an upturned margin provided in its uppermost edge with a seat adapted to retain a writing implement.

6. A device of the nature disclosed, com prising a flat absorbent body portion adapted to serve as a blotter, and having a relatively stiff upturned margin provided with a seat adapted to retain a writmg implement.

7. A device of the nature disclosed, comprising a substantially rectangular flat body portion having an absorbent backing adapt ed to serve as a blotter, and having a relatively stiff upturned margin at the top end of said body portion provided in its uppermost edge with a plurality of retaining seats for the writing implement.

8. A device of the nature disclosed, comprising a substantially rectangular flat body ortion having its under unexposed surface formed of absorbent material to enable said body portion to be used as a blotter, and having a relatively stiff upturned margin at the top end of said body portion, said margin protruding above the upper surface of said body portion to enable it to be readily grasped and provided with a plurality of seats for retaining a writing implement.

9. A device of the nature disclosed, com

prising a flat body portion entirely composed of absorbent material adapted to serve as a blotter and having an integral upturned margin protruding above the upper exposed surface of said body portion serving as a finger grip to enable said device to be readily lifted.

10. A device of the nature disclosed, comprising a flat body portion entirely composed of absorbent material adapted to serve as a blotter and having an integral upturned margin protruding above the upper ex osed surface of said body portion to enab e said device to be readily lifted, said upturned margin being provided with a plurality of seats for retaining a writing implement.

11. A device of the nature disclosed, com-- prising a substantially rectangular body portion having its under surface formed of absorbent material to enable said body portion to be used as a blotter and having its upper exposed surface rovided with printed matter, and having a re atively stiff upturned margin at the top end of said body portion, said margin protruding above the upper surface of said body ortion to enable said device to be readily lifted.

' 12. A device of the nature disclosed, comprising a substantially rectangular body portion having its u per exposed surface provided with printe matter and having a relatively stiff upturned margin at the top end of said body portion, said margin protruding above the upper surface of said body portion to serve as a blotter and having an upturned margin protruding above the upper exposed surface of said body portion to enable said device to be readily lifted, and stiffening material at the connection between said body portion and said upturned margin.

14. A device of the nature disclosed, comprising a flat absorbent body portion adapted to serve as a blotter, and having an upturned margin protruding above the upper exposed surface of said body portion to enable said device to be readily lifted, said upturned margin being provided with a seat for retaining a writing implement, and stiffening material at the connection between said body portion and said u turned margin.

15. A device of t e nature disclosed, comprising a flat absorbent body portion adapted to serve as ablotter having a score line adj acent one edge to enable a margin to be upturned to form a finger grip whereby said device may be lifted, said margin being provided with a seat for retaining a writing implement.

16. A device of the nature disclosed, comprising a flat absorbent body portion adapted to serve as a blotter and having an integral upturned margin protruding above the upper exposed surface of said body ortion to enable said device to be readily lifted, said device having a score line at the connection between said margin and body ortion, and stiffening material at said score ine.

17. A device of the nature disclosed, comprising a flat absorbent body portion adapted to serve as a blotter, said body portion having a corrugated margin having portions rising above the upper exposed surface of said body portion to enable said device to be readily grasped and lifted.

18. A device of the nature disclosed, comprising a flat absorbent body portion adapted to serve as a blotter, said portion having a corrugated margin whereby one or more writing implements may be retained in said corrugations.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. STAPLES.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. JACKSON. 0. H.. HANFoRD. 

